SPORTING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 9, 14 May 1920, Page 7

SPORTING.

******************** Matiu Chimea ian't much. When the pace ta oo she iaa't too true in her gait. Nightcaps diaappointed a lot of Southlandera at Forbury. She's not a bad maro, but wby Uc.de fcucb hoi company ! Eric Rothcbild haa yet a lot to forget before ho can be tau^ht how to win a race. A northern aport wanted to buy hirn for fifty at Forbury, War Scot and Di^ger Billy Muir carriod aomc good gratuity money on Saturday, but Billy eorly took a tumble to Ntdaon Derby. Gladioli doean't improve. She doenn't sc-cm able to atrike tlie f >rrn aho showed when trained about the roada at Nightcaps. Solace and Andy Prtngle inadu no raco of the Pr'aident's llandicap. Ile never put a foot wr.ng in the race and old Toni K. haa ituproved thia horse a great deal. Syudicato can trot. Hy gum, ha can brcak too, and he ain't tlu' neddy to put your dough ou whcn hi* rhler lui* a coupie of straincd ankles. Tho Gunner, Gcncral Link, and Trooper Dillon wero all namra that appcalcd to "aodgors" at Forbuiy last Saturday, and Uuey vory comidcrably helpcd to make tho ineeting a pleosant one to rcmember. Tho Gunner didn't ca.^t any shoea nor did hia ridor make any mi.tako about tlie nurnb>T of round* he had to go on Saturday. Uut thon money alwaya did make the maro go round ! Vilo who had niu a good nule and ac|uarUr in the big handicap on Saturday, wun tho Renown llaudicap nicely, but thcro wero iiicidcnU in the race that makoa one think at lcaat oue hor.se wai not a trier. Trooper Dtllon neill soldiers home on good terma with themrelves from the Forbury mecting each uight. I toll you the boya did go for home on Saturday night, and they wero fighting to get into tho pay out windows aftcr ho had gouo half the li>l*nce. ile wai No. 13 on tho card too ! Swanny Smith aml Nellie Scott wer# a iiot pot for the Royal Handicap, and, but for U-ing nearly punhed off the card half a-mile from home I think they would havo bealen Rewanui, who paid a quarter of a hundned. Swanny probably only receivivl whai ho has oflen givcn, but it waa unfortunate for hia backera on this occaaion that things wer otcncd up. Some eay General f.ink waa lucky to win on tho second day. Well, you have to havo luck on your side in the trotting gamo, but when you havo a horse that i can go round about thirty, and the beat driver in the Domitiion aboard you can . chance a little luck. TKo paco ho fininhcd down the ntraight wa a an eyeopener. llito (pronouncod Ilight Oh), waa a good thing for ihe Improvcra' llaudicap on Saturday, and Digger Ted. Dwyer let a few of hia old matea into tho know. And wlvat a good dividoml we colieclcd, jiwt in time to quadruple it on the General I'od's riding gained hini many admirer* when he won on Princeaa Cole and Ril), and with a few good liorses ho woold hold hia owrn with tlio beat of them. Now he haa shown hia capability I hope ho will get oue or two good onea. 1*11 vouch they will be well lookod after if he does. N ! n IWby who won tho Pacific tl.ui. dicap, on Saturday. ia some twoyear-old. He didn't have to go iaat. but had anytliing c»me at him orcr any part of tlte journoy he would haTe aliown the natives onie style and paea. He is a very hand a»me iior » by Nola >n Ruvcri, and if he improves with age, he will probably be one of the be„t we have ever accn in tha Dominion. Arrowsmitli will l» represonting old Riighty agam neit Saturday when Uie Prinoe of Diggers will be entertained at RiccarUin, and at wright for a^e, will mtict Uie champion Amythaa. But don't run awa y with tivo idea that theae two are the only hors>A in Uie race. Karo and Right ojh! I^eft will be there too! and if any of the local marchant* wiU • t

itand me I am going to Itave a dollar or so on Karo. No horse at Riccarton ia doing better work and she can run some mile. Better be with me Diggers. ILs lost a shoe, and his rider lost count of the rounda The Gunner had to go on Thuraday in good company, but on Saturday in what is often called "squib" company, the public let hira go out paying quite a nice price, and bow did he win! But with 3min 32 2-5eec against him, Billy, you will fmd him difilcult to pbce aucceaafully in Southlaiid. Ile ia a nice evcn pacer, and appeara to be getting used to having only one eyc now. Did Preiiident Bill Harlett get frightened of tbe patriotic stunt that he gtarted working for the secretaryahip, that be whippcd round and madc a Soutli African vetcran his candidato. I tell you when W.T.H. cracka his whip the membcra of the S.RC. committeo havo to come to heel quickly. How long would a good few of them retain their scata if they in currcd hia displeaaure! A good few yearg ago the Otautau Hack R.icing Club held one of ita many enjoyablo little meetings in a paddock nearby and during the day a young eporteman told the president the truth for which he wa% proniptly lined a fiver. Tliia young cliap did'nt pay the fine, but went out and fou.dit for bia country, and did hia duty nobly. The club howevcr never wiped off the fme, but advertises each week the fact that it due to tho club by this Dig4/-r. In the first place it waa a personal matter that cauaed him to be fined, and in fairncas to the honour of returned men I think the local Association sliould aak the club to wipo this unfair atigma on a brave man oOf the ofHcial calendar. fii Ja- k Oliver beat the returned soldiers' (irm and all others for the local socrctaryship stakes. When it bccamo known Uiat he waa the selected of the prcaident's party be becamo a very hot favourite, and ev/ntually tlew in. Jack should fill the poaition well, and any thing he doca not know all about in the racing line will be shown him by the president, who for a year or go waa treasurer of tho club bcfore he became president. What W.T.H. docs'nt know about running a racing club is'nt worth bothering about, hence Uio successful career of thc S.R.C. since he became the "head aerang."